Lifting means and sideward driving mechanism for automobiles



Oct.27, 1936. 'A. A. THOMAS LIFTING MEANS AND SIDEWARD DRIVING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 8, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 27, 1936. A. A. THOMAS 2,053,530

LIFTING MEANS AND SIDEWARD DRIVING MECHANISM FQR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 8, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I cA -U T U 9 DRIVE acrueuns RIELEASE umm m Bow ENDS FRONT n 3 LEFT m I um m' 25' v v 1m Rm INVENTOR Oct; 27, AJTHQMAS 2,058,530

LIFTING MEANS AND SIDEWARD DRIVING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 8, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fly. '5

' FrmfJW FrvntZi/t INVENTOR Oct. 27, 1936. A. A THOMA 2,058,530

LIFTING MEANS AND SIDEWARD DRIVING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 8, 1930 4 Sheets-*Sheet 4 INVENTOR Patented Oct. 27, 1936 N ED STATES PATENT E,

LIFTING' MEANS AND SIDEWARD DRIVING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Adolph A. Thomas, New York, N. Y. Application August 8, 1930, Serial No. 473,882

28 Claims. (Cl. 180-1) This'invention is for new and improved mechmy invention will be understood from a descrip-' anism adapted to be mounted on automobiles, tion of the accompanying drawings, in whichtrucks, buses and other self-propelled vehicles for Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of one of the lifting the vehicle of! its running wheels and parking units mounted on the car, certain parts moving it sideward in either direction. My novel being sectioned for clearness;

parking mechanism is characterized by simplicity Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of, and compactness of structure, so that it can be Fig. 1; installedon any make or type of automobile. Fig. 3 represents a rear view of a portion of In a preferred form of my invention I employ the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

two similar hydraulic units of flat construction Fig. 4 illustrates an arrangement of buttons attached crosswise to the ends of a car, and no and knobs on the instrument board of the car part of the mechanism need be beneath the a for controlling the parking mechanism; chassis. Furthermore, the mechanism is entirely Fig. 5 is a diagram of circuit connections condisconnected from the automobile engine, and is trailed by the finger pieces in Fig. 4; v controlled by keys or push buttons on the instru- Fig. 6 shows a top view of a modified arrange- 15 ment board. The lifting parts of my new mechment of three parkingknobs or keys adapted to anism may also be used independently of thebe connected for simultaneous operation; other features of my invention. Fig. 7 is a section on line 1-1 of Fig. 6; Briefly stated, my new parking device com- Fig. 8 shows a sectional view of a timed switch prises four upright cylinders rigidly mounted at for the car-lifting and releasing buttons on the 20 the corners of the chassis. The two cylinders at panel of Fig. 4;

each end of the vehicle are connected by a cross-. FigL'9 is a rear end view of Fig. 8 on line 9-9; frame and constitute. a unitary hydraulic assemand I bly. The pistons of each pair of cylinders are Fig. '10 is a diagrammatic view showing a car. 5 connected by a bracket which also carries an provided at each end with my new parking or 5 electric motor arranged. centrally between the lifting unit. pistons. The driving shaft of the motor extends Since the parking units A and Bmounted at in opposite directions toward each cylinder. he ends of the automobile are alike in structure Each piston supports at its lower end a small and operation, a detailed description of one unit parking ,wheel, which is permanently geared to is enough for both. It will thereforebe under- 30 one end of the motor shaft. In'other words, the stood that the p g t Shown in 1 may electric motor at ach end of the ca i b dil be regarded as either the front or the rear unit, movable with the connected pistons and parking wh ch is secured to the chassis in any practical wheels. "The cylinders are closed at -the bottom W y- I have ot considered it necessary to show and constitute oil reservoirs from which oil is y Structural Parts O an automobile. pt 85 pumped into the space above the pistons for to indicate in dotted outlines the engine hood in, raising the car of! its running wheels. The rs I a d running Wheels 3. Th s is sufflpumping operation is effected by another pair cient to show the general relation between the of electric motorsmounted between the cylinders fparking units and the car on which they are 40 at each end of the car. To lower the automobile, u It is preferable to cu e these units 40 a' valve associated with each cylinder is opened w to the side channel bars of the chassis, as byby means of a push button to discharge the oil means .of brackets l4 projecting from the hyfrom above the pistons into the space below them. I draulic cylinders IS. The brackets M, which This arrangement dispenses with a separate oil maybe cast integral with the cylinders, are bolted tank and does not require any part of the mechaat their inner ends to'the chassis at convenient 45 nism to be mounted beneath the body of the car. points, depending upon the particular design of Another feature of my invention resides in the chassis. This will be understood without addifact that both ends of the car can be raised simultional illustr nn way f hin the taneously, or either end alone. This permits brackets to the car is shown in my copend-.

sideward movement of the entire vehicle or a i ing application Serial Number 472,631, butI want 50 reach of the driver.

swinging movement of either end alone to the it understoodv that my invention is not limited to right or left. All these various operations are any specific'means for securing the parking unitscontrolled by push buttons or knobs within easy to the car, nor to any particular points of attachment on the car structure. The front park- The novel features and practical advantages of ing unit is positioned in the space between the 55 In each vertical cylinder I5 operates a piston i6 I in. an oil-tight fit, like the pistons of a gas engine.

The piston I6 is fixed on a rod or stem II which projects axially on both sides of the piston head, and for distinction I shall designate the upper section of the piston rod by the reference character H. The cylinder 15 is formed with an integral extension |8 having an axial bore to receive the section rod H in a slidable fit. A suitable gland packing l9 may be used, if necessary, to prevent oil from entering the extension l8 during the pumping operation. The lower section of piston rod |1 passes through thebottom disk 2|) ofcylinder |5 inan oil-tight fit, and

this disk is. screwed into place against a compressible gasket 2| to make an airtight joint.-

The piston i6 divides the cylinder I5 into an upper chamber 22 anda lower chamber 23, in which an expanding coil spring 24 is located for normally holding the piston and all connected parts in elevated position. The chambers 22 and 23 communicate, respectively, with passages 25 and 26 formed in lateral extensions 21 and 28 of the cylinder. These lateral extensions are parts of a cross-frame 29 which terminates at the center in a bracket 3|) adapted to support an electric motor 3|. The bracket 30 may be an integral part of frame 28 or attached thereto as a separate piece. Each pair of lateral extensions 2128 is connected by two vertical pipes 32'33 for conveying oil frommne cylinder chamber to the other, as will presently be explained. The frame 29, bracket 30, both cylinders IS, the four lateral extensions 21-28, and the four vertical pipes 32-33, may all be integral parts of a single casting of duralumin or other light strong metal. This casting would be counterbored and plugged wherever necessary to provide for the drilling of members 21, 28, 32 and 33','as will be understood by metal-casting experts. *If the oil pipes 32-33 are separate pieces screwed into the side arms 21-'-28, at least one of the latter must be separate from cylinder I5. It is immaterial how the various parts of the unitary structure above described are constructed and assembled,

' provided they perform their intended function.

Each-piston rod |1 carries at its lower end a bifurcated block 34 having downward extensions 35 adapted to support a' shaft 36 on which a small wheel 31 is rotatably mounted. For convenience I shall refer to 31 as. the parking wheels,

because they move the car sideways into and out of parking position.- At one side of each parking wheel is a small worm wheel or spiral gear 38 arranged in permanent mesh with a worm or spiral pinion 39 on a transverse'shaft 40, which is operated in either direction by a reversible electric motor 4|. These gear connections are such that the motorshaft 4 0 drives the wheelsequal.

The bearing blocks 34- tors 3| and 4|,as well as the gear connections 3839, may be entirely enclosed to render them invisible and weatherproof. For distinction I shall call 3| the lifting motors, because they pump oil into chambers 22 to raise the car, and the motors 4| are the parking motors, because their function is to move the car sideways on wheels 31 into and out of parking position.

The lifting motors 3| are each provided with a driving shaft which carries at each end a screw-blade or spiral propeller 48 arranged to operate in an aperture 41 of lateral arm 21 for pumping oil from the lower cylinder chamber 23 through pipe 32 into the upper chamber 22. ljhe aperture 41, which is really an enlarged mouth or inlet for passage 21, is closed at the outer end by which are screwed at their outer ends into the aligned arms 21. The inner ends of tubes 49 are screwed into bushings 50 which are secured to the opposite sides of motor housing 30. The vertical pipes 32 and 33 have each a valve 5| and 52, respectively, of any practical structure. of simple illustration, I have shown each valve in the form of a rotary disk mounted in a cylindrical housing 53 and having a diamet'ric passage adapted to be brought into and out of register with the associated pipe. Each valve has a crank arm 54 pivotally connected to a link 55 which carries a magnetic core 55 arranged to move into and out of a fixed solenoid coil. The coils associated with valves 5| are indicated by numeral 51,

' and the coils for valves 52 are marked 58. A

contracting coil spring 59 normally holds each crank arm 54 against afixed stop 60, so that the associated valve 5! or 52 is closed (like valve 52 in Fig. 1). When the solenoid of a valve is ener- 'gized, the valve is moved to openposition (like valve 5| in Fig. 1) until .the'crank arm 54 encounters a second fixed stop 5|.

In the normal. position of the movable parts as shown in Fig. 1, the expanding coil springs 24 hold the pistons l6 and all connected parts in uppermost position, so that the parking wheels 31 are off the ground several inches. If the vertically movable framework connected with pistons I6 is made of light .metal (except the magnetic-parts of motor 4|), the weight normally supported by springs 24 is only a few pounds. These springs, however, should be sufficiently strong to hold the cross-bar 42 firmly against the underside of cylinders I5 and prevent rattling of the parts during the normal running of the car; If desired, a washer 52 of non-metallic material may be interposed between the ends of By way bar 42 and the bottom disks 28 of the cylinders.

-oil or othersuitable liquid, so that the pressures on opposite sides of piston l5 are substantially Since the valves 5|-52 are normally closed, the opposing oil pressures lock the pistons I6 against movement and thereby assist the springs 24 to maintain the parking wheels 31 firmly in raised position.

Still referring to Fig. 1,' let us suppose that the motor 3| is energized and that the valves 5| are open. The rapidlymoving spirals 46 pump oil simultaneously and at the same rate out of cyl-' inder chambers 23 through pipe connections 26,

. 32, 41 and 25 into the upper chambers 22. Consequently, the pistons 18 descend until the wheels 31 touch the ground. The continued pumping of oil into chambers 22 lifts the cylinders l5 and If both lifting motors 3| are energized, the car is raised at both ends, .but either motor can be operated without the other, as I shall presently explain. When the car is in elevated position, the circuit of motor 3| is opened, either automatically or by manually releasinga switch membar. If the operator nowdesires to move the car sideways on wheels 31, he closes the circuit of motor 4| which slowly rotates the wheels 31 right or left,'as required. When the car has moved far enough, the operator simply lets go of the actuated finger piece and the parking motor 4| stops. "It ishardly necessary to mention the obvious fact that the outward stroke of the pistons IS in lifting the'car off. its running wheels is suflicient to take care of any sag of the axles. This 1 sag will be very small, especially'on automobiles having semi-elliptical springs, and that means nearly all makes of passenger cars. Furthermore, the suspension springs on automobiles are usually provided with snubbers or shackles to' limit the downward movements of the springs.

To lower the raised car, it is only necessary to open valves 52, while valves 5| are closed,

whereupon the weight of the raised car forces the oil out of chambers 22 through connections 25, 33 and 26 back-into chambers 23. When the car is again on its running wheels, the upward pressure of springs 24 pushes the pistons |5 slowly upward '(thevalves 52 being still open) until the parts reach their normal position. Since the piston rods H are always in closely fitting contact with cylinders l5 .at both ends, the car is firmly supported in raised position. The cylinder extensions ill have each an air vent IE to per-' mit'free movement of'the piston rods, and those extensions may also be used as supports for headlights 53, which enhance the appearance of the parking mechanism. The lamps may be secured by collars 64 or in any other practical way. The pipes 32-33 and valves 5I-52, together with the associated solenoids may be concealed by plates 55 and 55 mounted on the lateral arms 21-28. The rear plates are secured by screws 61-and have a forwardly extending'side 68 which abuts against the adjacent front plate 65 and thus formsaclosed dust-proof casing. The front plates 65 are preferably ornamental and may be of spring metal adapted to snap over the round-. ed arms 21-28 in firm engagement, as. shown in Fig. 2. I Attention is called to the great amplification of power between the oil-pumping shaft 45 and the hydraulic lifting chambers 22. Thereare two factors which contribute to this gain in, force: first, the feed screws 46 are turned by a lever represented in this instance by the rotating armature of motor 3|; sec'ondly,.the' applied force in passage 25 and the resisting force in chambers 22 '(i. e. the weight to be sustained), are proportional to their cross sectional areas. Suppose the insidediameter of cylinders |5 is 5.5 inchesand the diameter oflinlet passage 25 is 0.5 inch. This'gives an area ratio of something over 120:1, which means that every pound pressure in passage 25 is capableof sustaining a .weight of 120 lbs. in chamber 22. If we have a car with a maximum weight oil-6000 lbs., each column of oil in chambers 22 carries 1500 lbs.,

- but it requires only a force of 12.5- lbs. in the inlet passage 25 to counterbalance that pressure.

In other words, the screw blades 45 at each end of shaft 3| should exert a pressure (theoretically) of a little over 12.5 lbs. to force the oil into chamber 22 against the resisting weight of the car. Now, the force required to turn the screws oil into the associated pair of cylinder chambers 22. It is understood that these calculations are theoretical and take no account of friction; but even allowing for that, it is clear that only a small lifting motor consuming little electric energy is needed at each end of the car to lift the same on the parking wheels 31. Furthermore, the movement of oil out of chambers 23 tends to create an underpressure which pulls down the piston l6, thereby assisting the pumping operation of motor 3|.

for all lifting cylinders, in which case the lower chamber 23 would be open to the air.

The above described operations of'lifting the car and thenv moving it sideways on wheels 31 are controlled by push buttons and knobs or other suitable finger pieces arranged on the instrument panel '69, as shown in Fig. 4. The three push buttons 10, 1| and 12 are for lifting the car at both ends, at the front end only, and atthe rear end only. This means that when button 10 is pushed in, both lifting motors 3| are energized; while button 1| operates only the front lifting motor, and button 12 only the rear motor. Whichever one of these buttons is pressed, the solenoids of 'valves 5| are energized to open the valves and place the reservoir chambers 23 into communication with the hydraulic chambers 22. The three rotary knobs 13,

both parking motors 4|, while the knobs 14 and .15 operate only the front motor and the rear motor, respectively. The release key or button 15 is operated when the raised car is to be lowered back on its running wheels. For this purpose, the release key 15 energizes the solenoids of valves 52 which are thereby opened to allow the return of -oil from the upper chambers 22 to the lower chambers 23. The key 15 is supposed to be held in until the parking wheels 31 are in normal raised position. While the operator sitting in the driver's seat can not see'the wheels 31, experience soon enables him to know when tolet 'go of the release key. I may, however, pro--v vide the release-button'with a timed switch, as I am about to describe. When I speak of the control members 10-15 as finger pieces, I do not Inthe broader aspect of my invention, I may provide a single oil reservoir mean that they must always be arranged for manipulation by the fingers, for it is obvious that they may be so placed as to be operated by the feet of the driver. At least, such an arrangement is easily possible for the push but tons. 10, 1| and 12, which control the lifting of a the car.

The lifting buttons 10, 1| and 12 control timed switch mechanism for automatically opening the circuit of motors 3| when the car is in fully raised position. One form of such mechanism is shown in Figs. 8-9, which are applicable to all the lifting buttons and the release button; A small cyl-. inder 'II isattached to the rear side of panel 69 by bolts I8, or otherwise, and a piston .19 moves in the cylinder with a substantially airtight fit.

The piston I9 is fixed on a r0d,88 which carries at its outer end the push button 18, I I, or I2. An

' rod 88 under the expanding action of tensioned spring 8|. The button I8 ('II or 12) is pushed in until the-hub 85 thereof strikes the supporting panel 69, and when that happens the piston I9 is in dotted position I9. The cylinder II has an air outlet 86 normally closed by a valve 81, which may simply be a small flexible disk 88 of leather or the like attached by screws 89. In other words, the member 88 is a flap-valve which isiorced open by the compressed air when the piston I9 is pushed in, and which automatically closes airtight during the return stroke of the piston. The cylinder 11 supports an insulating block 98 which carries a pair ofswitch contacts 9| and 92. The switch member 9| may be a short stifi blade or a rigid contact piece, but the other member 92 is a long spring finger engaged by the insulating arm 83 on piston rod 88. The arm 83 may have a recessed or bifurcated end 83' for receiving the contact finger 92 in a snug fit. This arrangement holds the two parts together by preventing rotary displacement of arm 83, while permitting axial movement thereof. The contact finger 92 has an off-set or cam shoulder 93, so that the outer section 92 of the finger is laterally displaced in relation tothe inner section. The rear end 82 of cylinder 'I'l has a pair of small holes 94 and 95 which meet at right angles. The axial hole 95 is screwthreaded to receive a pointed'set screw I 98-which is adjustable to vary the inlet area of air vent 94 in microscopic gradations. The front end of cylinder 1'! has one or more vents 86' which arealways open to the outer air;

The switch members 9 I--92 are normally open, due to the inherent set or tension of spring finger 92. The coil spring 8| in cylinder 'II normally holds the arm 83 out of engagement with the 011- set extension 92 of contact finger 92. 'When the button I8 (II or 12) is pushed in as far as it will go, the arm 83 rides under the cam extension 92' and lifts the finger 92 into pressure engagement with contact 9| to close the circuit. of one or both motors 3|. The 'motor circuit remains closed from'the moment the arm 83 passes over the off-set 93 into engagement with extension 92 until the arm returns to normal position. The movement of'arm 83 from normal to its farthest position 83 takes only a second or less,

but the return movement is very slow, because no air can get into cylinder chamber I1 except through the tiny inlet 94 at the point of "needle valve 98. By adjusting this valve. the rate of flow of air into chamber I)! can be so controlled that a predetermined interval of time is required for the return movement of piston 19. In other words, the length of time during which the motor switch 9I-92 remains closed when the button I8 ('II' or 12) is-pushed in, can be regulated tow a second. This interval will naturally vary for cars of different weights, and will have to ybe determined in each case by actual tests, which any expert mechanic can carry out. The point to so that the car can be retained in raised position, v as long as desired. This would be necessary, for, instance, in changing tires or making certainf'reff. pairs underneath. In a simplified form of. my,

invention, the parking mechanism may be omitted and the device used as an hydraulic jack operated by an electric motor and manually controlled to lift either end of the car to which the device is attached.

The circuit connections controlled by buttons 18-12 and keys 13-15 are shown diagrammatically in Fig.5, which. I shall now describe. In this drawing the front and rear lifting motors are indicated by 3| and 3|, and the front and rear parking motorsare designated by 4| and 4| for distinction. The solenoid coils of the two front valves BI and 52 are marked 51 and 58, and the coils for the corresponding rear valves are indicated by 61 and 58 respectively. The timed lifting switches 9|- -92 have been-omitted from the diagram of Fig. 5 for'slmplicity and replaced by spring arms 91-98,.99 and I88, which are normally open and movedto closed position by the push buttons I8, ii and I2 respectively. The

button I8 controls the two insulated switch arms 9'I-98which operate as one member to engage a pair of contacts I8 I|82 connected to the negative lead I83 of battery I88. The source of electric power may be either a storage battery or a generator driven by the engine shaft, The switch arms 99 and I88 of buttons II and I2 are arranged to engage the associated contacts I88 and I88, which are connected to battery lead I83. The switch controlled by the release button I6 is represented by a movable arm I81 and contact I88. The switch arm I8'l. which may bea spring blade normally in open position by inherent tension, is connected to one side of the four solenoid coils 58-58 which are connected in parallel to conductor I83. The contact I88 is connected to the positive battery lead I89, so that the closing of switch I8'|-I83 energizes "all four coils 58--58" simultaneously to-open the return valves 52 and thereby lower the car. The

switch '01-rl08 is preferably held. closed automatically by a time switch like that shown in Figs. 8-9, so that the solenoid coils 58-58 are kept energized to hold valves 52 open until the pistons I6 have reached uppermost position.

The switch arm 99 of lifting button 1| is connected to one side of coils '51 and the front motor 3|, which is here shown as a shunt motor with a field coil 8. The switch arm I88 of lifting button 12 is connected to one side of coils 51' and the rearmotor 3|, whose shunt field coil is indicated at "8. The battery lead I89 is a common conductor for one side of the four solenoid coils 51-51 and 58-58, and for the two lifting motors 3|-3I. Since the lifting motors 3I3I always run in the same direction, they need not be reversible and may be series wound or of any other practical type. It is clear'irom Fig. 5 that when the button 18 pushed in, the

switch arms 91--9 8 6lose the circuit through the lifting motors 3i3l' and the four solenoid coils 51-51 in parallel. Consequently, the valves 5| are opened-to connect the oil reservoirs 23 with the front end of the car is raised. Similarly, the

operation of button 12 energizes the rear lifting motor 3| and the solenoid coils 51' which open. the rear valves 5|, whereby only the rear end of the car is raised. r

We now come to the control of the reversible parking motors 4I-4I' by the rotary keys or knobs 13, 14 and 15. The Side drive key 13 operates an insulating arm II 2 which controls two reversing switches. Any kind of reversing switch may be used, and for purposes of illustration I have diagrammatically represented each switch as consisting of ten spring fingers, which are numbered consecutively from II3 to I22 for one switch and from I23 to I32 for the other switch. The ten contact fingers II3 to I22 are connected to five conductors marked I33 to I31, and the other ten contact fingers I23 to I32 are connected to five conductors marked I38 to I42, which lead to five wires numbered respectively I43 to I41. Conductor I31 is connected to the negative battery main I 03 at point I48, and conductor I34 is connected to the' positive main I09 at point I49. The branch wires I43 and I46 are connected, respectively, to battery lead I 03 and conductor I34. The Front swing" key 14 operates an insulating arm I50 adaptd to control areversing switch represented diagrammatically by ten contact fingers numbered consecutively from I5I to I60, which are connected to the five conductors I33-I31. The Rear swing key 15 has an insulating arm |6I for operating a switch device comprising ten contacts marked consecu-- tively from I 62 to I 1|, which are connected to the-five branch wires I43-I41.

The parking motors 4| and 4| are of the reversible type,- which in this instance is represented by a D. C. shunt-wound motor, and the field coils are diagrammatically indicated at I12 and I12. The armature winding of each motor is connected at one side to the negative'main I03, and the. other terminals of' those windings are connected to conductors I35 and I40 respectively. The field winding I12 'isconnected-to conductors I33 and I36, while the field winding I12 is connected to. branch wires I44 and- I41. The three switch arms I I4- -I I6I I8 are mechanically connected for simultaneous operation by one or two insulating pins I13, and the two switch arms II9-I2| are similarly connected. These 'insu-I 'lated mechanical connections also'apply to switch 15. The following pairs of switch arms are normally closed: II4--II5 and I24-I25 of key 13, switch I52-I53 of key 14, and switch I 63.-I64 of key 15. The other pairs of switch arms are nor is normally held in neutral position. The spring fingers I56-I51 of key 14 have extensions arranged to engage the actuating arm I50, and a similar connection exists between the operating member I 6| of key 15 and theassociated pair of spring fingers I61-I68. These spring connections make the keys 14 and 15 self-restoring, as explainedfor key 13.

Let us suppose that the "Side drive key 13 is turned clockwise to move the raised car sideward toward the right. This closes the switches II3-II4, II5-II6, II1-II8, I23--I24, I25-I26 and l21-I28,'and at the same time opens the .normally closed switches II4-.I I5 and I 24--| 25.

The armature circuit of the front parking motor 4| is closed as follows: from the positive battery lead I03, conductor I 34, closed switch I I3-II4, conductor I35, through the armature winding of motor 4|, and from there to the negative side I03 of battery I04. The shunt field circuit of motor 4| is closed through positive main I09, conductor I34, closed switch I I3I I4, conductor I35, closed switch II1 -I I0, conductor I36, through field coil I12 in the directionpf arrow I 14, conductor I33,

closed switch I |5-I I6, conductor I 31 to point I 48, and through the negative main I03 back to the battery. At the same time, the rear parking motor 4| is energized through the following circuit connections: positive lead I09, conductors I34 and I, closed switch |23-I24, conductor I40, through the armature winding of motor 4| and back to the battery through conductor I03. The field circuit 01' motor 4| isclosed through positive 'lead I09, conductors I34 and MI, closed switch |23-I24, conductor I40, closed switch I21-I28,

conductor I39, through field winding I12 in the direction of arrow I14, conductors I41 and I42, closed switch I25--I26, conductor I 38, and to the negative side I03 of battery I04.

When the Side drive" key 13 is turned to the left (i. e. counterclockwise) to propel the raised -car sideward to the left, the parking motors 4I-4|' operate ln the reverse direction, and this reversal is obtained by sending the current through the field windings I12-I12 in the direction of arrow I 15, without reversing the armature current. The front motor 4| is energized through these connections: positive lead I09, conductor I34, closed switch I 2|--I22, conductor I35, through the armature winding of motor 4|, and to the return side of the battery. The field circuit of motor 4| is closed through positive lead I09, conductor I34, closed switch I 2I I22, conductor I35, closed switch II,4- II5, conductor I33, through field winding I12 in the direction of arrow I15, conductor I36, closed switch I I 9-120, and through conductor I31 to the return lead I03.

The rear parking motor 4| is energized through positive lead I09, conductor I34 branch wire I46, conductor I4I,

I3I-I3'2, conductor I40, through the armature winding 01' motor 4 I and to the negative lead I03. The field circuit of motor 4| is closed through positive lead I09, conductor I34 point I34, branch wire I46. conductor I4I, ci. N d switch I3II32, conductor I40, closed switch;;'I24-I25, conductor I42, branch wire I41, through field coil to point I34},- I. closed switch" I12 in the direction of arrow I15, conductor I39, 1

closed switch I 29-1 30, conductor I33, and thence to the return main I033 It has been assumed that,

when the current passes through the field wind.- ings I12 and I 12' in the direction of arrow I14, the

car is moved sideward on wheels 31in the direction of the drivers right, and the car ispropelled in the opposite direction when the-current flows I tive lead When the Front swing" key 14 is turned to the right, only the front motor 4| is'energized as follows: positive main I09, conductor I34, closed switch I5|-I52, conductor ,I35, through the armature winding of motor 4|, and return conductor I03. The field winding of motor 4| is energized through the positive main I 09, conductor I34, closed switch |5|-I52, conductor I85, closed switch I55I56, conductor through field winding I12 in the direction of arrow I14, conductor I33, closed switch I50-I54, and through conductor I31 to the return lead I03. The raised front end of the car is now swung right until the key is released. When the key 14 is turned left, the current is reversed in the field winding of motor 4| as follows: posi- |09, conductor I34, closed switch I59'I60, conductor I35, closed switch -I52--I53, conductor I33, through field winding I12 in the direction of arrow I15, conductor I36, closed switch |51|50, and through conductor I31 to returnlead I03. The armature circuit of motor 4| is closed through positive lead I09, conductor I34, closed switch -I53-I60, conductor I35,

through the armature winding of the motor, and

return conductor I03. The raised front end of the car is now swung left until the key 14 is released.

' When the Rear swing key 15 is turned to the right, only the rear parking motor 4| is ener-' gized, and the circuits are closed as follows: positive lead I09, conductor I34 to point I34, branchv wire I46, closed switch |62--I63, wire I45, con

ductor I40, through the .armature winding of motor 4 I and return main I03. The field circuit .is completed through positive lead I00, conductor I34 to point I34, branch wire I46, closed switch I62I63, wire I45, closed switch I66,-I61, wire I 44, through field winding I12 in the direction of arrow I14, wire I41, closed switch IIi4- I65,'v

' I34 to point I34, branch wire I46, closed switch I10-I1I, wire I45, closed switch I63-I64, wire I41, through field winding I12 in the direction -ment with side gears |0I- I82.

through the field windings in the direction of arrow I15.

I8| and I82 supported on bracket I10. The idler gears I8I--I82 are normally disconnected, so

that the keys 14 and 15 can be operated independently of each other. The Side drive key 13 has a rotary shaft I03 which carries a gear wheel I04 arranged to be shifted into engage- An expanding coil spring I05 on shaft I83 normally holds the latter pushed forward, so that the central gear I84 is outof mesh with the side gears IOI--|02, as shown in Fig. 6. A cross-pin I06 on shaft I03 :is held by spring I85 in an axial slot I01 of bushing I88, which may be part. 'of the supporting bracket I18 or attached separately to panel 60.

It is clear from Fig.v 6 that key 13 is normally locked against rotation, but the shaft I83 is free to be pushed in until the inner shoulder of the key strikes the panel, or until stopped in any other way; When that happens, the pin- I06 is ,out of slot I01 and gear I04 meshes with gears IN. The Side drive" key 13 is now geared to key shafts I16-I11 in such a way that right and left handed rotation of key 13 causes simultaneous rotation of the key shafts in the same direction. In other words, the operation of key 13 turns the switch-actuating arms I50 and I6| manner previously set forth in detail. When key to control the parking motors 4I4I' in the 13 is released the tensioned coil spring I85 first angular movements of keys, 14 and 15 in both directions.

In a simplified embodiment of my invention, the lifting button I0 and Side drive" key 13, together with the connections controlled thereby, may be omitted, because it is possible to of arrow I15, wire I44, closed switch I58I59,

and through wire I43 to return lead I03. The armature circuit of motor'4I is closed in the same direction as before through positive lead I09, conductor I34 to point I34, branch wire I46, closed switch I10-I1|', wires I45 and I40, through armature winding of motor 4|, and return'lead I03. As long as the key 15 is held turned to the left, the raised rear end of the car i:I moved sideward to the left on parking wheels Instead of using separate switch devices -op erated by the Side drive key 13, I may connect this key mechanically to keys 14 and 15, thereby dispensing with the two sets ofswitch contacts II3-I22' and I23-I32, together with the con- 'nected wiring. A mechanical driving arrangement between key 13 and the other two keys move into and out of any parking place by swinging only one end of the car. For example, toget alongside the curb from the middle of the street, the operator turns In toward the curb until the front wheels are about in the right position. Then he pushes the button 12- dle of the street. On the other hand, it is also derstood that my invention isnot limited to the.

14-15 is illustrated in Figs. 6-7. The keys or knobs 14 and 15 are fixed on rotary shafts I16I11 mounted-on panel 30 and bracket I18,

which may be attached to the panel. The key shafts I18--I11 carry small gears I10 and I00, respectively, which are in mesh with idler gears possibleto park and unpark a car by moving the entire car sideward while it is parallel with v the curb, so that only the lifting button 10 and .theSide drive" key 13 are needed.

Although I have shown and described certain specific constructions, I want it clearly undetails set forth. Various changes and modifications arev possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: h

1. An automobile provided with means for lifting the car off either pair of running wheels, means for swinging the raised end of the car sideward, a driving member for operating said lifting means, a separate driving member for I operating said swinging means, both of said members being disconnected from the engine shaft of the car, and selectively controlled means for lifting either end of the car to the exclusion said structure comprising a portion mounted rigof the other.

2. An automobile carrying a unitary self-contained' hydraulic structure for lifting the car, said structure being attachable to and removable from the car as a unit, and means for controlling the operation of said structure.

3. An automobile carrying at one end a unitary hydraulic structure comprising a pair of lifting cylinders and pistons, and a prime mover mounted on said structure for pumping fluid into said cylinders to raise the car off its running wheels.

4. An automobile provided with mechanism for raising at least one end off the ground, and timed means disconnected from said mechanism and operable independently thereof for automatically stopping said mechanism when the car is raised apredetermined distance.

5. An automobile provided with mechanism for raising at least one end off the ground, an electric motor for operating said mechanism, and a timed switch disconnected from said mechanism and operable independently thereof for automatically opening the motor circuit when the car has been raised a predetermined amount. -6. An automobile provided with mechanism for lifting the car and with mechanism for propel- 7. An automobile of standard make carrying atone end on the outside a self-contained structure for lifting the car, a source of power independent of the automobile engine and operatively connected with said structure for lowering the latter to lift the car, said structure being attachable to and removable from the car as a unit, power means carried by said unitary structure for moving the raised end of the car sideward, means for controlling the operation of said structure, said controlling means including means for automatically disconnecting said 'sourceof power when the car is supported in raised position on said structure, and controllable means whereby the car is held in raised position after the source of power is cut off.

8. An automobile provided on its instrument board with a pair of adjustable finger pieces ar-- ranged to be operated separately, mechanismcontrolled,by one of said finger pieces for lifting only one end of the, car, and mechanism controlled by the other finger piece for propelling the disconnected from the engine shaft of the car and each mechanism comprising a unitary selfcontained' structure attached to one. end of the car.

10. An automobile carrying a unitary self-contained hydraulic structure .for lifting the car,

idly on thecar and a second portion movable relatively to said first portion during the lifting and lowering of the car, and a prime mover on the rigid portion of said structure for lifting the car. i

11. An automobile carrying at one end a unitary hydraulic structure comprising a pair of lifting cylinders and pistons, a; prime mover mounted on said structure for pumping fluid into said cylinders to raise the car off its running wheels, a pair of parking wheels on which the raised end of the car is supported, and a second prime mover mounted on said structure for operating said parking ,wheels to move the car sideward.

. 12. An automobile carrying at each end a uni+ tary hydraulic structure comprising a pair of lifting cylinders and pistons, a prime mover mounted on each structure for pumping fluid into the associated pair of cylinders to raise the car off its running wheels, and manually controllable means for operating said prime movers simultaneously to raise the car at both ends or operating either'prime mover alone to raiseonly 4 one end'of the car.

13. 'An automobile carrying a plurality of hydraulic cylinders and pistons for lifting the car, each piston dividing the associated cylinder into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, both chambers of each cylinder containing a suitable liquid; means on the car for pumping liquid from the lower to the upper chambers to raise the car,

chambers so that the car is lowered to normal position.

14. An automobile provided on its instrument board with a pair of adjustable finger pieces arand means for returning the liquid to the lower ranged to be operated separately, mechanism controlled by one of said finger pieces for lifting one end of the car, mechanism controlled by the other finger piece for lifting theother endof the car, a second pair of separately adjustable fingers mounted on said instrument board, and means selectively controlled by said last-mentioned finger pieces for moving either raised end of the car sideward in either direction.

15: An automobile carrying at one end a r unitary hydraulic structure comprising a pair of lifting cylinders and pistons, a .prime mover mounted on saidstructure for pumping fluid into said cylinders to raise the car off its running wheels, a pair of parking wheels on which the raised end of the car is supported, a second prime mover mounted on said structure for operating said. parking wheels to move the car sideward, and'manually operable means for controlling the direction of said sideward movement.

16. An automobile carrying at each end a unitary hydraulic structure comprising a pair of lifting cylinders andpistons', a prime mover 'mounted on each structure for pumping fluid into the associated pairof cylinders to'raise the car 1 self-contained structure for .lifting the car, said off its running wheels, manually controllable.

the raised car sideward in either direcstructure comprising aportion mountedfrigidly on the car and a second portion movable relatively to said first portion during the lifting and lowering of the car, said movable portion carrying laterally arranged wheels on which the lifted car is supported for sideward movement, a prime mover on said rigid portion of the structure for lifting the car, and a prime mover on said movable portion of the structure for operating said lateral wheels in either direction.

18. An automobile provided at one end with a pairof vertical cylinders,'a piston movable in each cylinder, the space in said cylinder below the piston being closed to constitute an oil reservoir, pipe connections between said reservoir and the space above the piston, an electric motor mounted between said cylinders, oil-pumping means arranged in the pipe connections of said cylinders and operated by said motor to force 011 from both reservoirs into the space above the pistons, which are thereby lowered and cause the car to be raised off its usual wheels and supported by said pistons, and manually controlled meansfor returning the oil to said reservoirs to lower the car.

for lifting at least one end of the car, an electric motor for operating said mechanism, a switch forcontrolling said -mot'or, a movable finger piece for operating said switch, and timed means for delaying the return of the actuated finger piece to normal position until the car has been raised.

20. An automobile provided with mechanism for lifting the car off its running wheels,-an operable member for controlling said mechanism to lift both ends of the car at the same time, a second operable member for controlling said mechanism to liftonly the front, end of the'car, and a third hand-operable member to lift only the rear end of the car.

21. An automobile provided on its instrument board with a pair of adjustable finger pieces arranged to be operated separately, mechanism controlled by one of said finger pieces for lifting thecar, mechanism controlled by the other finger piece for propelling the lifted car sideward,

and means operated by said first-mentioned finger piece for stopping said lifting mechanism after apredetermined interval.

, 22. An automobile carrying at one end a unitary self-contained structure for lifting the car, said structure comprising a section mounted rigidly self-contained structure for lifting the car, said structure comprising a section mounted rigidly on the car and a second section movable relatively to said first section during the lifting and lowering of the car, a prime mover on said first section for lifting the car, and means including a second prime mover on the second section for propelling the raised'end of the car-sideward.

24. An automobile provided at each end with mechanism for raising the car off the running wheels, each mechanism including means for moving the raised end of .the car sideward, a pair of electric motors associated with eachmechanism, one motor for raising the car and the other motor for moving the raised .end of the car sideward, and selectively operable means for ener- 19. An automobile provided with mechanismv gizing the motors of either mechanism while the motors of the other mechanism remain inactive, whereby either end of the car may be raised and moved sideward while the other end remains on the ground.

25. An automobile carrying at one end a unitary hydraulic structure comprising at least one cylinder and piston, a source of fluid supply carried by. said unitary structure as a part thereof, and a prime mover mounted on said structure for pumping fluid from said supply into said cylinder to raise said end of the car. a a

26. An automobile carrying an hydraulic jack which comprises a stationary cylinder secured to the car, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a vertically movable ground-engaging part connected with said piston, spring means for normally holding said part and piston in withdrawn position, an oil reservoir, a pipe connection between said reservoir and the head of the cylinder, an electric motor near said oil reservoir, a rigid hollow framework supporting the electric motor and the oil reservoir in fixed relation to each other, said motor being housed within said framework, means operatedbyJthe motor shaft for pumping oil out of the reservoir into the cylinder head to force the piston out of the cylinder and thereby lower said part to the ground. whereby the continued pumping operation of the motor raises the car on the jack, means for holding the oil pumped into the cylinder to support the car in raised position after the motor stops, and manually operable means for releasing said oil-holding means to permit return of the oil to ,spring means automatically retracting the piston and the ground-engaging part as the oil flows back to the reservoir.

27. An automobile carrying an hydraulic jack which comprises a stationary cylinder secured to the car,'the head of said cylinder having an extension provided with a bore substantially at right angles to the cylinder axis,'a piston reciprocable work, means operated by the'motor shaft forpumping oil out of the reservoir into the cylinder head to force the piston out of the cylinder and thereby lower said part to the ground, whereby the continued pumping operation of the motor raises the car on the jack, meansfor holding the -oil pumped into the cylinder to support the car in raised position after themotor stops, and manually operable means for releasing said oil-holding means to permit return of the oil to said reservoir and thereby -lower the car, said spring means automatically retracting the piston and the ground-engaging part as' the oil fiows back to the reservoir. v

, 28. An automobile carrying an hydraulic jack which comprises a stationary cylinder secured to the car, a piston reciprocable in'said cylinder, a vertically movable ground-engaging part connected with said piston, spring means for normally holding said part and piston in-withdrawn position, an oil reservoir, a pipe connection between said reservoir and the head of the cylinder,

an electric motor supported adjacent said ervoir-for pumping oil out oi the reservoir into I H the cylinder head to force the piston out 01' the cylinder and thereby lower said part to the ground, whereby the continued pumping opera. tion of the motor raises the car on the jack, means for holding the oil pumped into the cylipder to support the car in raised position, controllable' means for releasing said oil-holding 10 means to permit return of the oil to said reservoir and thereby lower the car, said spring means automatically retracting the piston and the ground-engaging part as the oil flows back to the reservoir, and means independent of the piston head for steadying the piston in its reciprocable movements, said steadying means including a movable member connected with the piston and arranged to engagea fixed guide member outside the cylinder, chamber.

. ADOLPH A. THOMAS. 

